Push button switch



United States Patent O ice PUSH BUTIUN SWITCH Sigurd Brantingson,Livingston, NJ., assigner to Brin Manufacturing Co., Inc., Newark, NJ.,a corporation of New Jersey Filed June '30, 1959, Ser. No. 823,985

1 Claim. (Cl. 200-159) This invention relates to a push button switchfor selectively closing and opening an electric circuit and isparticularly directed to the provision of novel means for normallyholding a sliding contact member in circuitopening position and toenable it to be readily moved therefrom into circuit-closing positionand to `enable the operation to be repeated time and again withoutappreciably straining the parts or impairing a positive onoif action.

A further object of the invention is to provide a push button switch ofnovel structural features enabling it to be readily manufactured andassembled in quantity production, with uniform accuracy, rapidly andaccurately.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional view of a push button switch embodyingthe invention, shown in open position,

Figure 2 is a similar view of the switch in closed position,

Figure 3 is afragmentary top plan view'of plate and shell members usedin carrying out the invention,

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view, taken at line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a plate member used in carrying out theinvention,

Figure 6 is a similar view of a lower plate member,

Figures 7 and 8 are perspective views of conductor posts used incarrying out the invention, and

11Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view of an aligning s ell.

As shown in the drawing, the push button switch 10 of this inventioncomprises a plate 11 preferably made of dielectric material, and whichmay consist of two interfitted body portions, the lower body portion 11abeing formed as a unitary extension thereof or separately as shown inFigure 1 and suitably intertted therewith and held thereto by theconductor posts 13 which pass through registered openings in the platemembers. The upper ends of said posts are preferably formed concave (asat 14, Figure 7) to facilitate riveting said upper ends (dotted lines,Figure 7) over the plate 11 (Figure 3), the conductor posts 13 beingfurther provided with protuberances 15 to interlock with the underface16 of the plate 11a (Figure 1) and to facilitate assembly of the partsas above described. The plate 11 is provided with Va medial opening 17therethrough (Figure l), the lower plate 11a has a corresponding medialportion with the registering medial portion 18 (Figure 2) preferably ofgreater diameter than the medial portion 17 so as to 2,938,985 PatentedMay 31, 1960 define therebetween a shouldered portion 19 (Figure 2) fora purpose presently described.

The push button disc 20 is movable in an aligning shell 21, the latterbeing secured (with the positioning clips 12 which engage the door orother opening to position switch 10 therein) to the plate 11 orintermediate said plate and the lower plate portion 11a. Plunger 22 issecured (as by force fitting it) to cap 23 which is cemented preferablyas at 24 to the disc 20. A spring 25 positioned intermediate the plate11 and the push button cap 23 (rigidly fixed at one end to the latter)and normally urges the disc 20 upwardly to thereby carry sliding Contactfingers 26, which (Figures l, 2 and 4) are fixed to the lower end of theplunger 22, upwardly and into the medial opening l18 of the lowerportion 11a of the plate, to open the switch. The spring contact ngers26, thus secured to or adjacent the lower end of the plunger 22, extendupwardly and outwardly therefrom the outer free ends of the fingersbeing formed essentially parallel with the plunger 22 so to providesharp corners for sliding contact with the protuberances 15 of theconductor posts 13 when the push button is depressed (Figure 2) againstthe tension oli the spring 25, thereby completing the circuit to theconductor posts 13 and the bell or other apparatus connected therewith.Two contact fingers 26 are thus formed and secured to the device asshown in Figures 1 and 2, wherein only two conductor posts 13 areprovided; the number of spring contact ngers 26 provided wouldcorrespond with the number of conductor posts to be provided in theswitch, the latter being thereby adapted to -be used with two or moresuch posts to thereby control one or more electric circuits.

The plate portion 11 is provided with a non-circular opening 28 toslidably key the plunger 22 therein and with recesses 29 through whichthe spring contact lingers pass (on their Way to the medial opening 18in plate 11a) when the parts are initially assembled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

A push button switch comprising a dielectric plate having a medialopening therethrough, a pair of conductor posts fixed to said plate anddepending therefrom, a push button disc, a plunger medially secured tosaid disc and extending therefrom through the plate opening, springcontact ngers, secured to the free end of the plunger and extendingupwardly and outwardly therefrom, means urging the push button upwardlyand away from the plate, the medial opening of the plate adjacent thelower face of said plate being formed to deiine a shouldered portionengaged by the outer free ends of the spring iingers when the pushbutton is left disposed away from the plate, said spring lingers beingmoved away from the plate when the push button is moved downwardlymoving the free ends of said spring fingers into contact with theconductor posts depending from the plate, electrically connecting saidconductor posts.

Anthony Oct. 9, 1928 Norviel May 24, 1932

